Tray



Dec. 2e, 1944. o, i.; ABHOLZ 2,366,123

TRAY'v l Filed April 14,` 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. oRv/f 5. /vA Ho/.z

I l BY ATTORNE Dec. 26, 1944.' o. E. NABHoLz 2,365,123

TRAY

Filed April 14, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR. /VAf/OLZ o/fv/f-f.

mf ATTORNEY l "gm Deels, 1944. o, E, NABHOLZ 2,366,123

TRAY l Fi1ed Apri1 14, 1945 :5 sheets-shet s Iig. J

JNVENVTOR.

"Patented Dec. 26, i944 i TRAY f Orvie E. Nabholz; Shellsburg, Iowa. assignor to Le Febure Corporation, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a

corporation of Iowa Application April 14, 194s, serial No. 482,957 3 claims. (01.129-15)4 This invention relates to sheet holding means and has particular relation to a `locking tray adapted for selectively `locking card or sheet rec` ords inr place or adjustably releasing them in such a manner that theymay be readily inspected -or moved and replaced for making records thereon..` 4 g In some forms of record keeping, it is the usual practice toemploy loose cards or sheets so that the cards may be removed and replaced readily inf making entries but such sheets are frequently of a confidential and valuable nature so that it is desirable that they be locked or compressed into a solid block when not inuse. desirable features in locking the cards or sheets. One is that they are not available for casual There are several inspection While in the locked position. Furthermore, the cards, while in locked condition are less likely to be burned in a fire inasmuch as they furnish a solid block offpaper, the edges of which `might chargbut the inner portions of which will not burn, except under `extreme conditions of` heat. I A

`With records of thisrkind, however, it is very i 4desirable that` when the records are opened for use, a space be providedin front of the records,

`and other space be provided such that the records `or cards will fall back` into a tilted position best suited for` easy manipulation of the records.

It is accordingly among the objects of my invention to` provide means for accomplishing the desirable objects above pointed out and to provide a `tray in which the ledger sheets may be .locked solidly in place as desired or released in such a manneras to provide a working `space at .the front of the cards, and such` that the rear supporting plate will be withdrawnra suflicient `amount to permit the `records to tilt backfor ready manipulation. l l l l. f AAnother important object of my invention' is to provide a locking ratchet structure to` bring the back compressor plate up to any'desired position.l l

Still another object of my invention is to pro-` vide, generally, a tray of the above character which may be readily adjusted to hold various numbers of recordzsheets. l

Other and further features and objects of `my `invention will -be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a `consideration of the accompanying drawings and following specication,

wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment ofwthe invention, with the understanding, however, that such changes may be made therein as `fall within the scope of the appended claims,

without departing from the spirit of the inven tion.

In said drawings: U

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a tray constructed according to one embodiment of my invention. The retaining rails of the tray have Vbeen removed to better show themechanism of the tray.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the upper face of the tray with the compressor` plates removed and showing theratchet plate and the screw mechanism. l

Figure 3 is a view inside elevation of the tray as itl appears with the compressor plates in closed position, and

Figure 4 is a view inside elevation of the tray as it' appears with the compressor plate drawn to the open position, such opening having been accomplished only by the use of the key and screw mechanism. Y

Referring now to the drawings:

A device constructed according to a preferred embodiment of my invention employs a base, such as a rectangular pressed steel base, indicated at I0, covered withcorduroy cloth,`as at II. A

notch I2 is provided extending longitudinally of this base, and the sheetsand compressors, `hereinafter described, may be enclosed .within rails indicated generaliyfat I3 in Figures 3 and 4.

The notch I2 at thehedges thereof is provided with rails or guides I5 on which blocks or traveling nuts I4 and IB are s'lidably engaged.v These blocksmay` be moved front and rear by means of the screw I1 Whichis journaled in bearings i8 atthe end of the base I0 and rotated of a key I9.`

I-have found, in `practicing my invention, that it is desirable in releasing the sheets,` hereinafter l described, to move the front compressor 'forward several times as fast as the back compressor moves rearwardly. I therefore utilize two differvent 'pitches of threads'on the screw I'I.` -Theportionv of the screw III toward the iront' of the 'tray is preferably provided with a three-threaded screw, as at I'II, while the back portion of the screw, as indicated at i12, will be a single thread.

Thus the front block I4' moves three times las fast as the back block I6. This permits the sheets shown in Figures'B and 4 to fall back slightly while a considerable space is provided infront of the main block of sheets, as illustratedin Fig ure 4. The front compressor plate N hasjthe i-lowerportion 2II thereofsecured to theblock I4,

-whiev the upper portionl 2I2 is hingedly secured to the lower porti-on by means of the hinge conby means nection, indicated at 2l3. In locking the compressor plates, it is only necessary to push the plates up into the vertical positions shown in Figure 3, whereupon the locking mechanism 22, already known to the art, will lock this plate in its vertical position or in any desired position of tilt.

frame for the ratchet mechanism as well as the'y compressor plate.

` The ratchet or locking mechanism includes a pair of uprights 34 and 36 towhich oppositely disposed operating levers 31 and 3B are pivotally secured. The levers 31 and 3'8 project outwardly` through slots 39 and 4| in the vertically extend- 'lng portions of the mounting frame 3| 'so that these levers may be operated from outside of `the back compressor plate 32. The levers preferably are joined at their inner ends, as by means of the somewhat loose pivotal connection 42, and these levers have locking means or dogs 43 and pressor plate and permitting also adjustment of the back compressor plate in the ratchet channel as ldesired. Inasmuch` as the front compressor .plate moves at'three times the speed of movement of the back compressor plate, a considerable space is provided in front of the records so that a working space is readily and quickly provided.

r`It is apparent that the release and movement of the back compressor palte and movement of j this compressor plate in relation to the ratchet l channel is interdependent and that movement 44 Xe-dly secured thereto. The upper ends of th'elocking means 43 and 44 are preferably joined by a spring 46 which thus tends to hold the dogs 44| and 43| in the bottoms of the teeth 25 .and 23, to thus lock the mounting frame and back compressor plate onto the ratchet channel 23. A tongue 41 at the lower end of the .compressor plate 32 projects between the locking means 43 and 44 when the compressor plate 32 is .in `a vertical position, but when thecompressor ,plate 32 is tilted .backto the inclined position shown in Figure 4, the tongue is withdrawn from between the locking. means 43 and 44; so that the lockl ing means are .held in locked position when the compressor plate is in vertical .position andare releasable when `the compressor `plate 3.2 is .in inclined position. Thus themounting frame and back rcom-pressor plate maybe vmoved forward and back in the ratchet channel, as desired, by

pushing down on ythe outer ends of the levers -31 and 33 and moving the plate to any desired -position. Upon release ofthe levers 31 and 38, the Y dogs 44| and 43| of the Vlocking means 44 and 43 again engage the teeth 26 and 25 and prevent rearward movement of the `compressor plate. l

Itis apparent, upon inspection of the drawings,

that when the compressor plates are in the locked position shown .in Figure 3 the locking means 22 will prevent tilting of the front lcompressor plate '2| `and the .tong.ue-41, by reason of fitsposition between the locking means 43 and 44, will prevent unlocking of .theback compressor `vplate. Thus anyrecords locked in the plates, as .shown in Figure `3, cannot be readily removed 'except by unscrewing the threaded member |1.

When the screw I1 is rotated to release the` the plate tolean back against the back Licornof the compressor plate with relation to the channel Vcannot be accomplished except when `the compressor plate is in the tilted position.`

If desired, the tongue 41 may be eliminated and the notchesl at 5|, which engage the lower edges of the outer ends of the levers 31 and 38 when the` plate 32 is in a vertical` position (Figure 1), relied upon to prevent downward movement of levers 31 and 38. When the papers in Jthe tray are under compression, as in the locked position, the back compressor cannot be moved -from the vertical. The notch at 5| will prevent downward movement of the levers and unlocking of the latch mechanism. It is to be noted that the notch at 5| is inclined or sloping and thus downward pressure on the levers 31 and v38 will `cause the Icompressor 32 to tilt back from 'the vertical when the tray is unlocked and either of 'the levers or both of them pushed down.

Although I have described specic embodiments of my invention, it-is apparent that Ymodifl'cations thereof may be made by those skilled in the art.. lSuch modifications may be made so long asthey do. not depart from the vspirit and scopev of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

lgIna device of the class described, including' "a Vhase and a front compressor plate, a screw Afor moving the front compressor plate, a ratchet Vchannel adapted to be moved by the screw and having ratchet teeth, a mounting frame slidable in the ratchet channel for mounting a back com.- pressor plate fortilting movement, a back compressor plate 'tiltable with respect to the mounting `frame and having a ratchet for selectively engaging kany 'of the teeth of the ratchet channel, and means operative by tilting of the'back compressor plate for locking the ratchet linto engagement with the ratchet teeth.

2. -In a device of the class-described, a base, a frame slidable on the base, a compressor plate pivotally attached to the frame, andv locking means `actuatec'i by positioning of the compressor plate .in a vertical position to lock the frame with 'preference to the base, and saidlocking meansbeing so constructed that moving ofthe compressor plate back to a tilted position unlocks the locking means. l Y '-1 3. Infa device of the class described, means for locking a plurality ofsheets in a solid blockfl'ike form 'comprising a base andcompressor plates, one `of wsaid compressor plates beingv pivotally .mounted on a frame slidable with respectto. the

base, locking means for locking the frame'with reference to the base comprising movable vlever means, and ymeans associated with the compressor plates .for preventing movement of the lever means when the compressor plate is in vertical position. V

oRvIn E. minnorlz.v 

